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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Cannabis to be downgraded Matthew Tempest The Guardian Wednesday 10 Jul 2002 The home secretary, David Blunkett, finally confirmed this afternoon that the government is to reverse 30 years of ever-tightening drugs laws, with a downgrading of cannabis to a class C level drug - on a par with anti-depressants. The change to the law - practically a formality after Mr Blunkett told the Commons last October he was minded to accept the advice of the home affairs select committee on reclassifying cannabis - will take effect by next July. However, Mr Blunkett refused to reclassify ecstacy, which he dubbed "a killer", and rejected recommendations to set up so-called "shooting galleries" for heroin users. But the home secretary told MPs in a statement that the Metropolitan police would today announce they were rolling out their Lambeth "softly softly" policing approach across London, ahead of new guidance from the association of chief police officers nationwide. On the subject of the resignation of drugs tsar Keith Hellawell, Mr Blunkett said dismissively: "He has changed his mind three times - I have changed my mind only once. Three years ago I was against the reclassification of cannabis." The home secretary also claimed he had a minuted note showing Mr Hellawell was in favour of the change in the drugs laws. Mr Hellawell resigned in protest at the plans to reclassify cannabis, claiming the move was "gave an open season to those peddling drugs". Setting out his statement, which he called a "harm reduction policy", Mr Blunkett told MPs: "All drugs are harmful. Class A drugs are killers. Esctasy is a killer". Mr Blunkett said he had accepted advice that differentiating between heroin, crack and cannabis made government policy "open, honest and believable". Although the reclassification of cannabis means possession is no longer an arrestable offence, it remains illegal and a controlled drug. Police will have the option of an "aggravated offence" if "public order is threatened or children are at risk". In a bid to counter allegations that he was going "soft on drugs", the home secretary also increased the maximum sentence for trafficking class C drugs to 14 years - higher than the 10 years mentioned in leaks from the home office over the weekend. For the Conservatives, the shadow home secretary, Oliver Letwin, said: "There are two logical approaches - and the home secretary has adopted neither." But the move was welcomed by Simon Hughes of the Liberal Democrats, and Labour backbencher Chris Mullin, although he queried why the recommendation for shooting galleries had been rejected. The Home Office stressed that cannabis cafes - where the drug is sold and used openly - remain illegal and the police would be expected to swoop swiftly to close them down. Mr Blunkett added: "I have considered the recommendations of the home affairs committee and the advice given to me by the advisory council on the isuse of drugs medical experts that the current classification of cannabis is disproportionate in relation to the harm that it causes. "It is important to remember that cannabis is a harmful substance that still requires strict controls to be maintained, hence its classification as a Class C drug. "I therefore have no intention of either decriminalising or legalising the production, supply or possession of cannabis." Mr Blunkett said today's announcement place greater importance on providing treatment and minimising the harm drug users do to themselves and others. He announced with the health secretary, Alan Milburn, that an additional £183m will be made available to treat substance abuse over the next three years. He promised there would be faster and more effective treatment for cocaine and crack users, who are known to commit vast amounts of crime to feed their expensive habits - up to £200 a day in the case of crack addicts. The criminal justice system will be urged to get more offenders into treatment, including an acceleration of existing drug treatment and testing programmes, he said. There will also be an expansion of "carefully managed heroin prescribing" in some cases. An update of the government's 10-year drugs strategy will be published in the autumn after the government's spending review has been completed, he added. The reclassification of cannabis - first mooted by Mr Blunkett last October - will be carried out by a parliamentary "order in council" which will be debated before both Houses and approved by the privy council. The Home Office said the legislation would be in place by July 2003.
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